1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a fluid discharge device which permits various kinds of viscous fluids to be held in a storage chamber formed of a soft material and discharged efficiently, and more particularly to a fluid discharge a predetermined quantity of device capable of discharging fluid reliably from a storage chamber. The present invention is operable under a simple pressing operation, does not have a complicated structure so as to be manufacturable with high productivity and at a low cost and can be housed in containers having various shapes.
The fluid discharge device according to the present invention is suitably used for, especially discharging, cosmetics, such as foundation, lip color, cream and cosmetic liquids, and can also be used to discharge various kinds of viscous fluids, such as paste and paint, and mustard.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 42-13648 published in 1967 discloses a fluid discharge device of the type described above. The fluid discharge device disclosed in this publication has a quantitative suction chamber at an opening of a flexible container, in which fluid is held, a check valve provided between the passage and the quantitative suction chamber and adapted to be opened only toward the quantitative suction chamber, a ball which is provided in an extraction port formed on a side wall of the quantitative suction chamber, and which is adapted to be urged toward the quantitative suction chamber by a spring, and a piston provided at a corner of the quantitative suction chamber and adapted to be spring-biased by a spring. When the piston is pressed against the resilient force of the spring, the valve is closed by fluid held in the quantitative suction chamber, and the ball is pressed at the same time, so that the fluid can be discharged through an outlet port. When the piston is returned under the resilient force of the spring, the valve is opened by negative pressure with the outlet port kept closed by the ball, to enable fluid to be introduced again into the quantitative suction chamber while contracting the flexible container.
Therefore, according to the conventional liquid discharge device, the fluid can be sucked from the flexible container and discharged by reciprocating the piston. This enables the fluid in the flexible container to be used up most efficiently.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional device, the operating valve used to suck and discharge the fluid, and the piston means including the ball have a complicated structure, and this contributes to a relatively low productivity associated with the manufacture of the device and consequently to a relatively high price thereof. Since the piston mechanism having a complicated structure as mentioned above is joined to the flexible container in the opening thereof, the length and volume of the fluid discharge device as a whole is relatively high, and the shape of the device is limited. Therefore, this fluid discharge device cannot be applied to containers having various shapes including a miniaturized container and a flat container.